Vinod Khanna

Biography

Vinod Khanna (Peshawar, 1946 – Bombay, 2017) was an Indian actor, producer and politician, and one of the most recognisable names in Hindi cinema. Beyond his acting, he was one of the best-paid stars of his era, alongside Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan, and he won two Filmfare Awards. His importance lies in how he combined the commercial appeal of the masala film with a distinctive action-hero screen presence during the 1970s.

Born into a Punjabi Hindu family, he moved with his parents to Bombay shortly after his birth and spent part of his childhood in Delhi before returning to Bombay. He studied commerce at Sydenham College, and for a time cricket was his great passion before he decided to pursue acting in the 1960s. He made his debut in 1968 with Man Ka Meet, in a supporting role. His early work mixed antagonistic and supporting parts in films such as Mere Apne, Mera Gaon Mera Desh and Achanak, a crime drama based on the K. M. Nanavati case, before he established himself as a leading man.

After the success of Haath Ki Safai (1974), which brought him a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor, he had his most successful year in 1977 with Khoon Pasina and Amar Akbar Anthony, directed by Manmohan Desai and also starring Amitabh Bachchan. He reunited with Desai and Bachchan for Parvarish and worked with filmmakers such as Prakash Mehra and Raj Khosla. In 1980 he starred in Qurbani opposite Feroz Khan, earning his second Filmfare nomination for Best Actor. In 1982, at the height of his career, he left the industry to follow his spiritual guru, Osho Rajneesh, and returned in 1987 with Insaaf.

Back on screen, he built a reputation for fatherly and mentor roles in hits such as Dabangg (2010) and Dilwale (2015). He also pursued a political career, serving as a Member of Parliament for Gurdaspur from 1998 to 2009 and again from 2014 until his death. In 2002 he became Minister of Culture and Tourism, and later Minister of State for External Affairs under Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He died in 2017 of advanced bladder cancer. In 2018 he was posthumously awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India's highest film honour, and his legacy endures in his action films and in his image as a star of Hindi cinema.

Key films

• Mere Apne (1971), his first major leading role, in a film directed by Gulzar.
• Achanak (1973), a crime drama based on the Nanavati case, with a military officer turned fugitive.
• Amar Akbar Anthony (1977), one of the biggest hits of its year and a key title of the masala genre.
• Qurbani (1980), a big-budget action film that earned him a Filmfare nomination.
• Dabangg (2010), a fatherly role that marked his return to major commercial success.